Ogre – There are both Black and white Ogre kachinas. The White Ogre, called Wiharu, represents good; while the Black Ogre, called Nata-aska, threatens naughty small children. Both ogres usually carry a saw or knife, as well as a bow and arrows for hunting. Their most noticeable feature is their long, chomping jaws, which are often clacking. These ogres accompany Soyoko (Ogre Woman) on her trip to collect food from the children and make sure they help with chores and growing corn. As a means of discipline, children are told the ogres can swallow them whole.

Ogre Man – Known as Awatovi, this ogre kachina is believed to originate from the destroyed town of Awatovi. Seldom impersonated, when he does, he performs similar functions as other ogres, like standing beside the Ogre Woman and putting food he has gathered from the villagers into his basket. During the Ogre Woman’s actions, he stands by her side, stomping and grumbling to scare the children. He usually wears a black breechcloth rather than an embroidered kilt, and his calves and forearms are often covered with black or red spots.

Ogre Woman – Known as Soyoko, this kachina has a hideous appearance and carries cleavers and saws to discipline naughty children. At a parent’s request, several of these ogre figures appear at the naughty child’s home. They demand impossible tasks of the children, warning them they will be back to check on them in several days. This Monster Woman appears during the Powamu ceremony, dressed all in black, with long, straggling hair, staring eyes, and a wide-fanged mouth. When she speaks, it is in a wailing falsetto or with a long dismal hoot of ‘Soyokó-u-u-u,’ from which her name is derived. She may reach for the children with the long crook and threaten to put them in the basket on her back, or to cut off their heads with the large knife that she carries in her hand, utterly terrifying her young audience. In some villages she leads the procession of ogres; in others, she remains at the side, content to make threatening gestures.

Old Man – Known as Wuwuyomo grandfather Kachina, Old Man is called Old Man because he is very ancient. He may also be known as Mong or Chief Kachina and always appears in groups of four at the Powamu ceremony, singing songs for a successful growing season.

Owl – Symbolizing intelligence and wisdom, this kachina benefits agriculture by destroying rodents.

Pachavuin Mana –  Also known as the female Hemis Kachina Mana, this Hopi kachina is truly a woman. She brings bean sprouts, artificial corn, corn sprouts, and grass to the village harvest. Chief Kachinas and Village Chiefs usually lead the crowd in certain rites and wait for the signal to leave.

Paralyzed – Known as Tuhavi, this paralyzed kachina is carried by a friend who was blind; together, they could meet each other’s needs, hunt, and travel. The blind man is a Mud Head (Koyemsi) who becomes the Paralyzed Kachina’s legs, and the Paralyzed Kachina becomes the Mud Head’s eyes. They appear together in the Mixed Dance.

Piptuka – This kachina appears in public dances and participates in the antics of the mud heads or clowns. He carries a hoe over his shoulder and a planting stick in his left hand, indicating his connection with planting.

Parrot – Called Kyash, this kachina disappeared in the early years of its history but reappeared again around 1965. It has been given dances in the Water Serpent Ceremony and the Line Dance. This kachina aims to bring summer growth and attract more parrots.

Prickly Pear Leaf – Known as Navuk-china, this oldkachinao appears in the Mixed dances. The cactus that he represents was used as food by the Hopi in the past. He is sometimes accompanied by his sister kachina Navuk-chin Mana, the Snow Maiden.

Priest Killer – No one knows for sure exactly what the Priest Killer story is, but it is believed that he appeared around the time that the Spanish came to the Hopi people. When the Spaniards came, they tried to preach their religion to the Hopi, who eventually revolted and started burning churches that the Spaniards had built and killing any priest who would not leave. The story can be told slightly differently in almost every village.

Quail – Called Kawaspi, this is one of the several bird spirits and appears as a runner. Animals are teachers, advisors, and doctors to the Hopi people.

Rainbow – This kachina represents peace and harmony throughout the tribes.

Ram – Like all game animals, this kachina dances to increase its kind and has power over the rain.

Red Bearded – Known as  Tawa Angak’china, this is one of the most favored kachinas among the Hopi. They are appreciated for the melodious songs and beautiful dances they perform in the spring. The main purpose of the Angak’china is to bring rain to the people and their crops. Their long hair, worn loosely down the back, resembles falling rain, with eagle breast plumes rising like clouds above it. These kachinas appear in the Niman Ceremony.

Red Skirt Runner – Called Palavikuna, this kachina carries yucca whips, as do most of the runner Kachinas, and he also offers piki bread as a reward to those who beat him in a race.

Red-Tailed Hawk – Known as Palkwayo, this kachina is a warrior, hunter, and Chief Kachina. Though rarely seen and having almost disappeared in some villages, this kachina serves many important purposes. He appears in the Pachavu ceremony/

Road Runner – Known as Hospoa, this kachina helps bring rain, wards off witchcraft to protect homes, and works to attract more road runners. He usually appears in the Mixed Dance or Kiva Dance.

Scavenger – A rare figure that depicts a looter from the ruins of Awatowi. After the war in Awatowi, the scavenger picked up any worthy things left behind. He accompanies the Ogre Woman during ceremonies, and after she has received everything she wants, he picks up everything else that would not fit into her basket. Some believe he is a part of the Ogre family.

Scorpion – Known as Puchkofmoktaka, this horned runner is a comical spirit. Running races during ceremonial games, he carries two sticks and is known to launch one at a competitor ahead in the race.

Screech Owl – Known as Hotsko, this kachina is one of the many birds that participate in the Kiva Dances of the Powamu. He is a hunter who, according to stories, evolved from a hunter of wild animals to a hunter who threatens farmers’ domestic barn animals. This Owl and animals in general are very important to the Hopi people as teachers, advisors, and doctors.

Shalako Mana – Also called Calako Mana and Giant Cloud Maiden, this Zuni kachina towers seven or eight feet and usually appears with its mate. The Shalako, believed to have first arrived at Zuni around 1840, are the God’s messengers and run back and forth all year long carrying messages, as well as bringing moisture and rain when needed. The Shalako Ceremony is performed in late November or early December, after the crops are in. This ceremony is the most important event of the year for the Zuni Indians of New Mexico. These kachinas ask for rain, the propagation of plants and animals, and the health and well-being of their participants.

Shulawitsi – This Zuni Fire God is almost an exact duplicate of the Hopi Kokosori, but he is not related to Kokosori. A young boy who is innocent and pure of heart usually performs him. He carries a fire stick, signifying his responsibility as a caretaker of one of the universe’s important physical elements: fire. During the Shalako ceremony, he paints his body and mask black with multicolored dots. He also carries a small deerskin bag containing seeds to be blessed during the fertility rites that are part of the Shalako ceremony, which ends one year and begins another.

Sio Shalako – This kachina appears at the Powamuya ceremony, or “Bean Dance”, which occurs during the latter days of January through February, when the Hopi appeal to the Kachinas for fertility and abundant crops. At this ceremony, young boys are initiated into the kachina cults or the religious life of the Hopi people. The Hopi learned about a rain kachina from the Zuni around 1850.

Snake Dancer – Known as Chusona the Snake Dancer is not a kachina but rather a society personage. He appears at late summer dances and performs with a snake in his mouth. The dancers enter the Snake House to retrieve the snakes for the dance. Non-Hopi have always had an intense fascination with it, and therefore its effigies have been carved for many years.

Snow Kachina – The Snow Kachina is a favorite character during the Winter months. Because he lives on top of the San Francisco Peaks, he is credited with bringing the cold and snows to the Hopis. This Winter moisture is essential for crop growth.

Snow Maiden – Known as Nuvak’chin Mana, this kachina brings blessings, snow, and cold weather, which are essential for crop growth. She is seen during the Niman Ceremony.

Soyok Mana – One of several women ogres who, along with Soyok Wuhti (Monster Woman), visit village houses during the Powamu ceremony. During their visits, they threaten misbehaving children and ask for food. They either whistle their disapproval or accept the food, which is put in their baskets and taken to the kivas.

Soyok Wuqti or Natacka Wuqti – (Monster Woman) The name Soyok is applied to certain monsters called Natackas, which appear in the Powamu ceremony. These kachinas are thought to have derived from the eastern pueblos, as they are represented at Zuni. Besides the Soyoko, or monsters that regularly appear in the Walpi Powamu ceremony, other similar monsters visit occasionally. Soyok Wuqti has a large black mask with great yellow goggle eyes and a red beard and hair, to which is tied a red feather, the symbol of death or war. She carries in one hand a crook with several shell rattles attached, and in the other, a huge knife. She is much feared by the little children, who shudder as she passes through the pueblos and halts to threaten with death those she meets. She appears at the Powamu ceremony at about the same time as the Natackas, but does not accompany them.

Soyal Mana – Soyal is a Winter solstice ritual designed to turn the sun back in its course. Mana means maiden. This kachina appears along with Ahulani on the morning of the last day of the Soyal Ceremony.

Squash – Known as Patun or Patung, this plant kachina, like others, is important because people depend on it for food. This kachina is a favorite to many collectors. Among the Hopi, the Patung kachina is a runner from First Mesa, but this kachina is originally from Zuni. He is a Chief Kachina in the Pumpkin Clan. Carvers make many versions of this doll, and most still follow the basic form: holding a flower in his right hand and a yucca whip in his left. In the image on the right, he wears a mask and green body paint with black stripes, a breechcloth, and carries squash blossoms.

Spotted Corn – This kachina helps pollinate corn plants, increasing the amount of food available at harvest.

Sun – Called Tawa or Dawa, this kachina symbolizes abundance, life, growth, and strength of spirit. He comes during the solstice to beckon the sun’s return and begin the growing season. The Sun Kachina usually carries a spruce tree in his left hand and a bell in his right. In the Mixed Dance, he carries a flute in his left hand and is rarely impersonated.

Sunface – Represents warmth, shelter for the old, bright future, and playfulness for the young.

Talawiqpiki – A lightning god with a zigzag lightning symbol from the rain cloud and a rainbow carried over the head.

Tcolawitze – Zuni fire god.

Tecab – One of the most common Navajo kachinas. This figure has symbolic points similar to those of Tecab Yebitcai. The image shows a face painted white, with crescents under the eyes and mouth. A stalk of growing corn appears on the median line of the mask, with an ear of maize on each side. The figure wears a red kilt and black bandolier and carries yucca whips.

Tecab Tenebidji – Another common Navajo kachina, personified by the Hopi. The eyes are black, horizontal bands, curved at the outer ends with a long snout. On the side of the head turned toward the observer is a symbol of a half-formed squash surrounded by red horsehair, and on the opposite side of the head are attached two vertical feathers. Variegated parrot feathers crown the head. The red fringe on the forehead represents the hair.

Tecab Yebitcai – This Navajo supernatural is translated as Grandfather Kachina, and the Hopi say the Navajo name has a similar meaning. The artist depicts a stalk of corn on the mask’s white face. Two half-rectangles surround the eyes and mouth. A conventional ear of corn is painted on the left cheek. A crest of eagle feathers also appears on the head. Yebitcai wears a blue calico shirt, black velvet pantaloons, and Navajo leggings. Both the pantaloons and the leggings have a row of white disks along the outside, which represent silver buttons, and he wears a belt of silver disks strung on a leather strap. A buckskin is draped over his right shoulder, and in his left hand, he carries a bow and two arrows, and a skin pouch for a sacred meal.

Turkey – Known as Koyona, this kachina dances with the other birds in the kivas at night or during the Mixed Dances of spring. He is from First Mesa and is very rare. Birds, or animals in general, are very important in the Hopi culture. Animals are advisors, healers, and hunters to the Hopi people. The Hopi have learned a lot from animals.

Turtle Maiden or Woman – The Turtle Maiden, or Kahaila Mana, is a maiden, like others, simply a Kachina Mana, but because it accompanies Kahaila, it also picks up his name. The Mana’s face is also painted differently. The Turtle Maiden is very rarely carved into a Kachina. All animals and mammals aremammals are an important part of Hopi culture; they are believed to provide guidance, health, and protection.

Velvet Shirt Navan – The Navan or Velvet Shirt Kachina is a new Kachina. It was introduced to Hopi culture in the 1900s. He is believed to have come from the village of Moenkopi. Navan usually appears in kiva dances. He is seen wearing ribbons and bright colors. He is a very colorful Kachina. The name Velvet Shirt comes from the shirt he wears.

Wapamo – See Long-Billed

Warrior Maiden – Called He’e’e or Hehee, this kachina represents a warrior spirit. It can appear as a man dressed in women’s clothes or a woman with a man’s tools. This kachina is a potent warrior, and during the Pachavu Ceremony, she leads the group of fearsome warrior kachinas in a battle to protect the line of dancers. Because she is so potent, other guards protect certain ceremonies from her dangerous presence. There is such a close resemblance between her and Teakwaina Mana that they seem to be the same personages.

Water Drinking Girl – Called Palhik Mana, she is often seen grinding corn, and sometimes with colorful plants and birds. She brings rain ,hat creates life, whether in corn or animals, and is highly regarded by the Hopi. She is often mistaken for the Poli Mana (butterfly maiden) and the Salako Mana, as their functions are similar.

Warrior Ahote – The Ahote is a hunter that originates with the Plains Indians but has been adopted into Hopi culture. He comes in two colors: yellow or blue. His long, trailing eagle-feather headdress resembles that of a Plains Indian warrior. The colorful triangular patch with pendant colored circles between the eyes represents spring flowers. Ahote appears in the Mixed Dance and the Plaza Dance. Sometimes, he carries a roast or boiled corn to give to the audience during his performance.

Warrior Mouse – The Warrior Mouse Kachina is a central figure in Hopi folktales. He is not a dance figure at all, but rather the hero of a Second Mesa legend. A mouse undertook to rid the village of a pesky chicken hawk. He did so by taunting the hawk and tricking it into diving into a stake, impaling itself. The Warrior Mouse, as he is called, is not to be confused with any other folktale mice. The mouse and other animals have always played an important role in Hopi ceremonies and tradition. The Hopi believe that through animals, one can learn many things about life.

Warrior Woman – Known as He Wuhti, this kachina can be either a man dressed as a woman or a woman using men’s equipment, depending on where you hear the story. In the man’s version, he didn’t have time to find his clothes when the enemies approached, so he had to wear his bride’s costume to fight them quickly. As for the woman, they say that she was finishing doing her hair with her mother when she saw the enemies approaching. With only one side of her hair complete, she snatched up her bow and arrow and defended her village until the men returned from the field. Despite the differences in stories, the He Wuhti functions as a warrior spirit that leads a band of warrior kachinas to protect the Pachavu ceremony procession.

White Bear – Thought to be powerful and capable of curing bad illnesses, these kachinas are great warriors and are usually seen in the Soyohim or Mixed Dances of springtime.

White Cloud – Brings rain for needed food crops and represents the presence of clouds.

White Buffalo Dancer – Called Kocha Mosairu, this is not a kachina, but rather a social dancer. It is usually seen in ceremonies in January on First Mesa. Most carvers do not mind making this doll as part of their repertoire. It is now a favorite among collectors. All animals are an important part of the Hopi culture; they are believed to provide guidance, health, and protection.

White Chin – Also called Tuma-uyi, this achina is amongst the oldest known Hopi Kachinas around today. He got his name because he has a colorful face, but his chin is painted white. This Kachina’s main function is unknown. He is now rarely seen in ceremonies.

Wiktcina – This being assists the clowns and amuses the spectators by throwing mud during the dances and festivals. He wears a helmet mask with circular eyes, mouth, and appendages.

Witch or Guard – Known as Hilili, this kachina is believed to originate with the Zuni Tribe. In the Acoma and Laguna pueblos, he is known as Heleleka. His name comes from the call or noise that he makes. When he first came to the Hopi, people were very suspicious of him. He is mainly seen holding Yucca whips. He has become a popular guard at ceremonies because of his dancing style. He can be seen in the Powamu and Night dances.

Wolf – Also known as Kweo, this kachina is often seen in dances accompanied by the Deer kachina or Mountain Sheep kachina during the Soyohim Dances. He carries a stick that represents the trees and bushes that he uses to hide in whenever he stalks his prey. During ceremonies, the Wolf Kachina’s sharp teeth and lolling tongue are always visible. They are made visible to boast the wolf’s prowess; the wolf’s a hunter. After the dance, it is customary for the Hopis to offer the Kweo Kachina cornmeal, and in return, the Kweo Kachina blesses them on their hunt.

Yellow Corn Maiden or Woman – Known as Takursh Mana, she appears with Angak’china, Ma’alo, Pawik, and other Kachinas. They dance in a line separate from the Wolf’s her line Kachinas, but following the same pattern of turns and gestures. The Takursh Mana does make one different move. She kneels and places a large gourd on the ground to rasp. She usually carries a scapula and a notched stick that produces different tones, like a musical instrument.

Wolf – This kachina is a hunter who uses his knowledge to help villages locate and catch needed game animals, ensuring. However, he also brings food for the coming Winter. Highly respected, the Wolf usually shows up at the dance, sneaking behind the antelope, deer, or rabbits, hiding behind his stick, which represents trees and cover. Towards the end of dances, he is showered with offerings in hopes that the people may channel his skills as a hunter.

Zuni Chief – Called Pautiwa, this kachina chief summons the Zuni Wolfplee to the Kachina Village, the most prestigious of all Zuni deities. Illustrating Zuni virtues of dignity, beauty, leadership, and benevolence, he is concerned for the welfare of all people and kachina spirits. Though he appears in many Zuni stories and coordinates the Zuni ceremonial calendar, he appears on only three occasions, all during the Winter Solstice rituals. No Kachina may visit the Zuni pueblo unless Pautiwa approves and sends it. He is a Sun Kachina and a member of the Sun Clan.

Zuni Rain Priest – Accompanies the Shalako to bring rain.

Ceremony Types:

Hakitonmuya – During this period, people plant small quantities of beans, pumpkins, gourds, muskmelons, and watermelons. The word “haki” means “wait,” as it is not yet the time to plant most crops. People call on kachinas to help the plants sprout and grow. Many represent seeds and different kinds of sacred corn or blooming plant life; others represent rain or the increase of game animals. During the early planting season, people perform achina dances and foot races in the plaza.

Kwiyamuya – In April, the Hopi start preparing and planting their gardens and fields with various crops, especially corn. Racer kachinas appear in the plaza and challenge men and boys to foot races, blessing them with strong, healthy lives. “As the men race so that the water will rush down the arroyos,” the Hopi say. A Mudhead kachina leads the Racers, carrying prizes in a blanket. During the Kitamura races, two kachinas, who are female fertility figures, force men and boys to the ground and make copulatory movements that symbolize procreation.

Kyaamuya – Also called the Soyalangwu Ceremony, this takes place in December, a sacred month when the gods return, and the sun turns back toward summer. The Hopi respectfully prepare for the arrival of the kachinas with storytelling and the Soyalangwu ceremony. The first few kachinas of the new year appear at the beginning of Soyalangwu, the Winter solstice ceremony, which may last up to nine days. It involves making prayer objects, many prayers and rituals, and a rabbit hunt and feast at its conclusion. The prayers and rituals help the Hopi turn the sun toward its summer home and begin giving strength to all life for the growing season ahead. Two kachinas, representing fertility, procreation, and renewal, approach village women and simulate copulation to symbolize fertilization for the new growing season.

Kwiyamuya – In April, the Hopi prepare and plant their gardens and fields with various crops, especially corn. Racer kachinas appear in the plaza and challenge men and boys to foot races, blessing them with strong, healthy lives. “As the men race so that the water will rush down the arroyos,” the Hopi say. A Mudhead kachina leads the Racers, carrying prizes in a blanket. During the kwiyamuya races, two kachinas who are female fertility figures force men and boys to the ground and make copulatory movements that symbolize procreation.

Niman Ceremony – Also called the Home Dance, this Hopi ceremony is the last appearance of kachinas at Hopi before they depart for their homes in the San Francisco Mountains. This early August event closes the kachina season. The most common masked dancers on this occasion are the Hemis kachinas, although others may appear. In its solemnity, this kachina dance differs from the plaza dances that precede it throughout the spring and summer. No clowns are present.

Osomuya – A cycle of Night Dances called Angk’wa; this ritual follows Powamuya and repeats several Powamuya ceremonies. The head of the kachina clan inaugurates them. As with other Night Dances, or Kiva Dances held iWinterer and early spring, kachinas dressed in ceremonial kilts and sashes climb into the kivas and give people samples of crops that will soon be planted. Their gifts ensure a plentiful harvest. Throughout Osomuya, drumming and singing accompany dances held in all the kivas until dawn.

Paamuya – Following Soyalangwu, these Winter social dances are held in homes and the kivas at night, and on the plazas during the day. They last until the beginning of the Powamuya ceremony. The dances depict animals that live in the mountains now covered with snow, and are prayers for snow to fall on Hopi fields and for successful hunting.

Pachavu – Dramatizes historical events.

Plaza Dances – Public kachina dances performed in village plazas during the spring and summer months, culminating a longer series of secret or private rites. These events are sponsored to celebrate a special event and include feasting and socializing, as well as dances that entertain and enact Hopi religion. The dances are unquestionably religious, presenting kachinas and emphasizing fertility, rain, health, and life. These dances are either mixed dances, where each dancer presents a different type of kachina, or line dances, where all the dancers present. Clowns often perform during the dances, especially in the intervals between kachina dance sets. The plaza’s greater space provides room for the long lines of regular dancers and for the more active “side dancers.” These highly skilled “side dancers” encourage others to emphasize the song’s rhythm and often accompany the words with gestures. Summer dances are always popular and well-attended. The year’s final dance is the “Home Dance” or Niman. It signals the Kachinas’ departure to their mountain homes. After the “Home Dance,” no more Kachinas appeared until the following year.

Powamuya – Also called the Bean Dance, the ceremony, which takes place in February, sees the kachinas arrive in force to help the Hopi prepare for the next growing season and to initiate children into the Kachina Society. The most important kachina ceremony is a series of rituals that promote fertility, germination, and early seed growth. It also initiates children between six and ten years old into the Powamuya Society. The children can then participate in kachina performances.

A crucial event during Powamuya is planting beans. In the kiva, men, under the supervision of Powamuya officers, plant 50 to 100 beans in a bucket filled with earth. A fire burns day and night to help the beans grow. Patsavu Hu’ kachinas regularly inspect the plants. The planting and growth of the beans inside the warm kiva are seen as a good omen for a successful harvest. On the 16th day, the kachinas give away mature bean sprouts in a public ceremony followed by a procession of many kachinas who dance and give away dolls, dancing wands, decorative plaques, bows and arrows, lightning sticks, rattles, and moccasins. Among the dancers are Ogre kachinas who frighten children into behaving properly. Eototo, considered the village’s spiritual chief, appears for the Powamuya ceremony. Eototo controls the seasons and uses cornflower to attract moisture and clouds into the pueblo. During the ceremonial dances and sacrifices, Eototo promises to provide the Hopi with food and water.

Shalako Ceremony – This Zuni ritual, taking place on or about December 1, is a sacred drama enacted in the open for the dual purpose of invoking divine blessing upon certain newly built houses and rendering thanks to the gods for the year’s harvest.

Soyal Dance – Soyal is a Winter solstice ritual designed to turn the sun back in its course. Combined with this, there may be a ritual in which medicine is prepared and either drunk or rubbed on the body to promote health and strength. The first kachina to appear, opening the kachina season, is Soyal, a shabbily dressed figure who totters along like an older man. He makes his way to kivas, placing prayer feathers and sprinkling cornmeal. Other Soyal actions include preparing prayer feathers for relatives, crops, animals, houses, cars, and personal well-being. The period beginning with the Winter solstice and lasting until a few weeks past the summer solstice is distinguished by the frequent appearance of kachinas, masked messenger spirit beings.

Soyohim Ceremony – Held in the spring, it is a rain dance, with each dancer dressed in characteristic apparel and masks of different kachinas. In this arid country, the great and unceasing prayer is for rain to water the crops. The Soyohim kachina includes numerous varieties, including the Rain Cloud, the Owl, the Apache, the Navajo, the Shalako, and more.

Talangva – This ceremony takes place in July when all the previous kachina rituals and dances culminate in the Niman ceremony. Shortly after the summer solstice, the 16-day Niman ceremony celebrates the kachinas’ departure to their spirit world in the San Francisco mountains. After eight days of sacred activities in the kivas, the kachinas perform a public dance. They enter the plaza at sunrise with their arms full of the first green corn stalks of the year, thus demonstrating that corn will be plentiful. They also bring presents, including dolls, for the children. Toward the end of the evening, they reenter the kiva, where an altar has been set up. There, they dance for the last time and receive offerings. The father of the kachinas gives a farewell speech, thanking them for past favors and praying for their continued help. He then sprinkles them with cornmeal and spreads cornmeal on a path for them to follow to the West. The kachinas slowly leave to return to the gods with the Hopi’s gifts and prayers.

Wuko’uyis – Held in early June, the main planting season, when the first corn, a sacred crop, is planted and young people and children are taught how to farm. Corn is used to make dietary staples like bread and cornmeal. Cornmeal often thickens other dishes, and corn husks were historically used to make sleeping mats, baskets, dolls, and more. During this time, kachinas appear at sunrise in all twelve Hopi villages and proceed in a single file to the plazas. The dances conclude at sunset with prayers and blessings. The kachinas also travel through the Hopi villages with gifts of food.

 

Compiled and edited by Kathy Alexander/Legends of America, updated September 2026.

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